Process Planning and Control for Functionally Graded Material Fabrication Using Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication

Using multiple materials in additive manufacturing technologies is critical for building parts with functionally gradient geometries. In order to achieve a desired material gradient, an advanced process planning and control system is required. This paper details the development of a process planning method and control system for functionally graded material fabrication using a triple extruder Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) system including motion code generation, extruder dynamic modeling and control, and composition gradient control. The effect that extruding multiple materials from a single orifice via static mixing has on the time delay of the resulting mixture is taken into account for path planning, and this factor is incorporated into integrating motion codes with extrusion commands. The effectiveness of the proposed system is demonstrated by fabricating three-dimensional parts with desired gradient compositions using multiple materials.